


Restoration

by mrex



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Comfort, F/M, Married Couple, Pregnancy, Pregnancy ambivalence, Reylo - Freeform, Romance, So Married, everybody hates poe, everybody’s had a bad week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 16:36:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16957641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrex/pseuds/mrex
Summary: Comments are life :)





	Restoration

"Do you think they'll be here soon, Rey? Have you heard from Ben? Do you think it was super dangerous? Oh my gods, I hope Finn didn't do anything stupid."

Rose grips her medallion around her neck and her daughter to her hip, prattling on as she stands with Rey in the base hanger. They're waiting for their husbands to return from their mission. Finn's first one. And the first one Rey was barred from.

Rey tries hard not to resent Rose, but it's a struggle. After all, her friend wasn't sidelined the second her pregnancy was known. No, Rose still got to do real work, work she loved, crawling around behind pipes for as long as she could find a maintenance jumpsuit big enough to squeeze her belly into. But not Rey, oh no. Not _Luke Skywalker's legendary final padawan._ Not the Resistance's _precious Last Jedi._ No missions for Rey Solo, not with a _new Skywalker heir_ on the way.

Nevermind that the _other_ "Last Jedi" and Skywalker heir was currently two days late returning from a dangerous mission. A dangerous, _failed_ mission.

Rey knew they had already landed. She also knew that Ben was likely to find a different way into the base, bypassing check-in protocols, which would have Dameron tearing him a new one later.

"They're here!" squeals Rose, shoving baby Paige at Rey and running to greet Finn, jumping into his arms and smothering him with kisses. "Oh gods!" Rose gasps, noting the dirt and sweat and _is that blood?_ marring her husband's smooth skin. "What happened, babe? Are you ok? Poe better remember that General Organa's not here to save his ass if anything happens to you!"

Rey approaches slowly with the baby, letting them have their moment. Finn detaches his wife with a final peck on the lips and holds his arms out. "There's my girl," he says quietly, holding his daughter closely, the picture of fatherly contentment. He then pulls Rey into a half-hug and kisses her cheek. "Go to him Rey," he murmurs in her ear. "He needs you."

She knows this already. But Rey nods her thanks and greetings in one, and moves off to find Ben, sidestepping the approaching General Dameron with a dismissive half-salute.

"Rey, wait," Poe calls. But she already has a mission, and it's time to go.

\---

The base medbay has a private room with a large hydrotherapy tub. It's ridiculously outdated tech; everyone's been using bacta for practically everything for practically forever. The antique tiles are cracked and mildewed, and the tap drips, but the hot water somehow never runs out, and - best of all - the door locks from the inside.

A simple lock is no match for _The Last Jedi,_ however, especially when the person she most wants to see is on the other side. The lock wasn't for her anyway.

Ben is already in the tub, tap running and threatening to overflow onto the dingy tiles. He's managed to wash the grime from his cheeks and eyes and forehead and hair, but now he leans back against the sidewall, eyes closed. Rey can feel the frustration and dejection flowing off of him.

Rey relocks the door and moves around the tub behind Ben, shedding her clothes. "Scoot up," she commands him, one bare foot and then the other on the entry steps.

Ben leans forward. "You'll get water on the floor."

"That's what drains are for," Rey responds, and that's another way Ben knows she loves him. She'll waste gallons and gallons of precious water for him and only him.

"A little more," she says, trying not to curse _this damn belly_ starting to get in the way. She slips in behind him, indeed dumping a large splash of water onto the floor.

The smirk and _told ya_ she feels from Ben is reassuring. Even if the mission was a disaster, all is not lost if he can still tease her.

Rey runs her hands through his wet hair and over his neck, shoulders, and arms. She strokes down his back and leans forward to wrap her arms around his chest. Checking for injuries.

Mostly.

Well. Partly. Mostly it's the need to touch him, to press her skin against his, to quench the thirst that roils in her soul every time they're separated.

Of course, the close contact isn't actually helping anything in that regard, so she puts a little space between them and picks up the cloth and soap. "Are you hurt, though? I didn't sense anything."

"No."

Rey leans back against the tub wall and pulls Ben to lean back and rest his head on her shoulder. Once he relaxes a bit, she presses the wet cloth to his jaw and then gently scrubs at his week-old beard, loosening the grit and blood caked there. She smiles softly at him. "I like this. Too bad Poe's going to make you shave it off."

"Poe Dameron can kiss my ass."

"That's fair." She strokes the cloth along the front of his neck, then presses a kiss to the corner of Ben's eye. "Sit up again."

He does and she washes the back of his neck and makes sure he's rinsed all the ash from his hair. She kisses the vertebra protruding at the base of his neck before moving on to his shoulders and arms and back, massaging his sore muscles. Finally, she reaches around to hug his chest again, resting her forehead between his shoulder blades and pressing her breasts to his back. They're so heavy and painful already; the pressure feels good in more ways than one.

"I missed you so much, Ben."

He grasps both of her hands in one of his and brings them to his lips, tenderly kissing nine of her fingers.

The last one he puts in his mouth and sucks, releasing it with a pop. Rey hums interestedly at his back.

"Then come around front and greet me properly, wife," he growls.

She eagerly complies.

\---

Her hands are in his hair, and his mouth is on her mouth, then her neck, then he gasps in a mouthful of water trying to reach her breasts. Rey lets out a little _whoop_ as he hoists her up so he can reach them without drowning - although all of it, all of _this,_ is almost like drowning in the best possible way.

They move together, sloshing more water onto the floor than Rey thought possible. She distantly hopes the walls are soundproof, but she also _does. not. care._

Because Ben is home. Ben is safe.

_Home. Safe. Home. Safe._

\---

Ben leans her back against his chest and splays his big fingers across her belly. "How's this little one?"

"Fine. I had another scan yesterday. They said everything's fine."

"You didn't tell me?"

"Well, you were busy."

Ben snorts. "Yeah, busy getting our asses handed to us. I could have used some good news, Rey."

Rey bites her lip. She hadn't thought of this. Even when Ben told her the mission had failed; she didn't think how personally upset he would be to have no little passengers on the relief ship this time.

"Are you happy, Rey?" he murmurs, barely audible in her ear as he strokes her belly. "About this?"

Rey hesitates. She isn't _un_ happy, just frustrated. She sighs. "I just wish I could do more. To help you, to give the refugees a home and a direction." She pauses, then: "I got my new assignment this morning. Guess what it is."

Ben tucks a loose strand of Rey's hair behind her ear and caresses it down into the water below her shoulders. She will be perfect at it, no matter what it is. "What?"

"Caf duty."

Ben snorts again, in genuine amusement this time. "I can't imagine you serving caf all day."

"Well," Rey starts, brightly sarcastic, "it's not just _serving_ caf. I also stock the supplies and wipe the counters and scrub out the urns. It's _very_ satisfying."

"You're performing a valuable service to the Resistance, and I salute you for it."

Rey lets out a soft _ha_ at this. "I don't think I'm above it or anything. Far be it from me to keep some sleep-deprived gunner from her caf ration. I just wish they would let me do more. Engine repairs. Hand-to-hand combat training. Something."

"You shouldn't be climbing up and down maintenance ladders, and you are _not_ sparring." Ben's fingers tighten protectively on her abdomen. Rey just places her hands over his and interlocks their fingers. "I know you hate feeling idle, love. But Poe's just trying to keep you safe."

Rey scoffs. "Poe Dameron can kiss my ass."

Ben laughs, finally a real laugh this time. "Well, then." He slowly rubs his hands over Rey's belly. "So am I. I'm trying to keep you both safe." He kisses her gently on the temple.

Rey shifts around so she can reach Ben's lips with hers. She places her hand on Ben's, moving it to where she can feel the baby moving within her. "I'm happy to do this with you, Ben."

\---

"Kriff, Ben. We fell asleep in here. I'm freezing."

"Oof. Okay, sit up. I'll grab a towel for you."

"Did you get clean enough?" Rey asks, standing, shivering.

"I don't care." Ben wraps a robe around her and helps her step to the floor. "Don't slip. Put your boots on."

"Oh! I forgot to tell you. Rose dug up the schematics for me and I found another way back to our quarters. A _secret_ way," she says with a grin, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Okay, but we only take it if I can still do this." He lifts Rey into his arms, bridal style, as if she weighs nothing, which she is very aware she does not.

"Ugh, put me down; I'm so heavy."

Ben laughs again and kisses her forehead.

"Never."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are life :)


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